​Every founder eventually hits the same decision: how do we ship product faster without blowing up quality, costs, or long-term maintainability? In 2026, the options are broader than ever, from hiring onshore engineers to working with offshore teams to using AI and no/low-code tools to accelerate delivery.

​This panel is a practical, strategy-first guide to choosing the right development approach for your stage and constraints. We’ll unpack the real tradeoffs behind each path: speed, cost, communication overhead, product quality, security/compliance, and what happens when you need to scale beyond the first version.

​You’ll walk away with:

• ​A simple framework for deciding when to go onshore, offshore, or AI/no-code

• ​What to optimize for at different stages (prototype vs MVP vs scale)

• ​Common failure modes (misaligned incentives, brittle builds, hidden handoffs)

• ​How to structure projects for success: scopes, milestones, ownership, and QA

• ​Where AI tools help most today (and where they create risk)

​Best for: founders and operators making build decisions in the next 3–12 months.

​Speakers

​Ally Brabant

​Ally Brabant has spent her career at the intersection of product, data, and growth. From early-stage startups to Amazon, she's taken products from zero to one, hired and led cross-functional teams across engineering, data science, and operations, and built growth strategies that work for both scrappy founding teams and global enterprises. Today she brings that experience to Red Ventures, where she continues to solve hard problems at the intersection of technology and consumer experience. She studied at Washington University in St. Louis and is based in Charlotte.

​Ankur Patel

​Ankur Patel is an entrepreneur and growth leader with a proven track record of scaling technology across high-stakes industries, including sustainability, real estate, and healthcare. With experience spanning from early-stage startups to late-stage enterprises, Ankur specializes in the intersection of product innovation and market expansion. He is recognized for his ability to build high-performing teams that turn complex challenges into scalable global solutions.

​David Shaner

​David Shaner has spent the past 12 years building Offline through multiple iterations. What began as a Meetup-style concept evolved into a media company that reached an audience of 3+ million, and later became a subscription restaurant membership operating in 11 cities. Through the Offline app, users have tried more than half a million new restaurants.

In 2024, Offline had 32 employees; today, the team is four. Offline has become David’s test kitchen for a conviction he can’t shake: AI is permanently changing revenue leverage. He’s focused on ARR per employee and the future of building, and splits his time between Offline and exploring how small teams can scale with AI.

​Moderated by Mallorie Langston

​Mallorie Moore is an entrepreneurial-minded senior leader with extensive experience in building and scaling tech companies and teams. With a proven track record of driving exponential growth in venture- and growth-equity backed companies, Mallorie has worked with a diverse range of development structures. As Vice President at a North Carolina-based tech company, she collaborated closely with engineering teams that employed both in-house and outsourced development strategies. Her experience as a client developer at an offshore (nearshore) development firm has given her valuable insight into the benefits of strategic partnerships with such firms. In her current role as Director of Market Development at Michael Best, Mallorie advises tech startups—many of which are making their first development hires—helping them navigate the decision between offshore and onshore development solutions.

​Location

​Tin Roof

​300 Glenwood Ave, Raleigh, NC 27603

​​​Questions?

​​​This session is part of Raleigh-Durham Startup Week. Click here to learn more about the event, plus get answers to your FAQs.

​​​Track Supporter

​​​​​Thank you to Narrasoft for supporting the Strategy Track at #RDSW26!